From Bruce Feiler's At The Monastery of The Burning Bush. (Update: page no longer available.)
Sinai Desert, Egypt — I bolted upright the first time I heard the bells, a sound so loud it yanked me from sleep. I held my ears when I realized the clamor was just outside my door. It was a carillon 15 centuries old; a wake-up call older than clocks.
I looked at my watch: 4:25 a.m. The room was whitewashed, with a bed, a desk, and a chair. A reproduction of an eighth-century crucifix hung on the wall, alongside a small painting of St. Catherine, the Egyptian martyr and namesake of the monastery at which I was staying. Before I came to the mountains, people had warned of the cold, meager facilities. But the room was quite accommodating, with plenty of bedding, a portable heater, hot water, a toilet, and even a bidet. This was the Ritz for pilgrims, a hermitage with a view.
I slid into my boots and splashed water on my face. The morning service would start in five minutes. Outside, the courtyard was still dark. A rosefinch hopped quietly on the banister; even the birds didn't speak at this hour. [continue]
Related book:
Walking the Bible: A Journey by Land Through the Five Books of Moses - by Bruce Feiler.
More from Mirabilis.ca about St. Catherine's Monastery:
Ancient monastery opens library - January 31, 2003